Be the first to read Noble Conflict – Malorie Blackman’s explosive new book due to be published in June!
The time has come! The first 10 people to email rhcpcompetitions@randomhouse.co.uk- with ‘Noble Conflict’ in the subject – will win a proof** copy of Noble Conflict.
Don’t forget to include your postal address* so that we can dispatch your prize. Competition closes on the 1st April 2013.
Good luck!
This competition is only open to residents of the UK and Republic of Ireland.
* Your address will only be used to dispatch your prize and will not be used to send any other marketing or sold to a third party.
** A ‘proof’ is an uncorrected book made available in confidence and is not for sale or other distribution.
Malorie’s eagerly awaited new book, Noble Conflict, will be out in June! Check out the explosive cover, and let us know what you think on our facebook page.
Malorie has teamed up with online writing community, Movellas.com, and her publishers, Random House Children’s, to launch an exciting new opportunity for teen writers: the ‘Sony Young Movellist of the Year Awards’.
Free to enter and open to writers aged between 13 and 19 years, the competition will see one young superstar receive an exclusive publishing contract with Random House. The winner will be announced on the 15th of July 2013 at a glamorous awards ceremony sponsored by Sony Reader Store.
“I’m so thrilled to be involved in the new Movellas award for young writers. What a wonderful opportunity for young people to have their stories read and their voices heard. I just wish something like this had been around when I was a teenager. If you have a story you want to share, what are you waiting for?! Good luck!” – Malorie
Also on the judging panel are Random House Children’s Publishers Editors Natalie Doherty and Lauren Buckland. They added: “Random House Children’s Publishers are so proud to be part of the inaugural ‘Young Movellist Award’. This is a truly fantastic way for talented would-be-writers to take one step closer towards their goals, with the amazing support of the Movellas writing community behind them all the way. Because we want to help and encourage young writers in any way we can, we’re very excited to be offering the winning entry a publishing deal with Random House. We can’t wait to read all your entries!”
The Reading Agency will be acting as a supporting partner, and will be on hand to help the wannabe authors through its Reading Activists programme, providing top tips and literary guidance as well hosting ‘write-in’ events with local communities across the country.
Find out more and enter now!
We’re thrilled to announce that Malorie will be joining us for a webchat on our YA & teen fiction Facebook page to talk about her books and to answer all YOUR questions on Tuesday 18th December. All you have to do is post a question to the wall of our Facebook page and Malorie will post her response as a comment between 5 and 6 pm tomorrow.
So start thinking up those questions and join us THIS TUESDAY to chat with Malorie! Or, if you’re not able to make it tomorrow evening, feel free post your question anytime before the webchat and then log in later to see Malorie’s answers.
Malorie’s final blog post as author in residence is now live! Read on Totally Random now.
The View From My Attic – Part Four
In the 70s, 80s and even into the 90s, I was proud to call myself a feminist. I was a womanist (still am), with an unshakeable belief in equal rights and respect for women. But something very troubling has been happening over the last few years.
In the late 90s, the mood was that feminism had become somewhat redundant because women’s rights had become encoded into the fabric of our society and were now protected. Not so. In recent years, we seem to have moved backwards on this issue, not forwards. The increasing objectification of women is something I view with alarm.
The inspirational, aspirational women I remember admiring as a teenager have been side-lined by women who are famous for being famous and very little else. The images young girls see all over the media seek to reinforce the false belief that it is what is outside that counts, not what is inside – that packaging is more important than content.
Calling time on a series is always difficult, especially when you have lived with and grown to love the characters in that series for years. But there comes a time when you have to say, ‘It’s finished,’ and let it go.
When I wrote Checkmate, the third in the Noughts and Crosses series, I really thought that was it, the series had finally come to an end. Noughts and Crosses, Knife Edge and Checkmate had taken eight years of my life to complete and I was more than ready to let go of that world and move on to other things. But Tobey Durbridge, a minor character from Checkmate started whispering in my ear and he just wouldn’t shut up.
Damien Lewis recently won an Emmy in the best dramatic actor category for his performance in Homeland. (Compulsive viewing as far as I’m concerned). He bounded up onto the stage and said something along the lines of (to the best of my recollection) he didn’t believe in judging art but he thought he’d turn up, just in case.
He didn’t believe in judging art… interesting statement. The children’s book world contains its fair share of awards and prizes. But what point or purpose do they serve – apart from stroking the ego of the winning author and/or illustrator?
Well, for a start, they hopefully let readers know that your book not only exists, and is available, but was deemed good enough to make it onto an award shortlist. More importantly perhaps, it lets people know that there are many , many books in the children’s world worth celebrating. In these days of more information at our fingertips, it is becoming harder as an author to get your work noticed. The best book in the world will still sink without trace if no one knows about it.
We’re thrilled to announce that Malorie Blackman is the author in residence on our Totally Random website this month! Each week in October she’ll be writing a guest post for our blog, talking about her books and sharing her thoughts on the world of writing.
Here’s a taster from Malorie’s first blog post:
The View From My Attic
Writing is a curious business. Making up characters, conversing with them, getting to know them, loving them, hating them, letting them live inside your head for months or even years would probably have you sectioned in any other line of work!
I first had the idea for my book Noughts and Crosses at least two years before I wrote one word of it. And it underwent a number of changes before I was happy to begin writing. In my first scribbled synopsis, even Sephy’s name was different. She was called Jade. But Jade didn’t really speak to me. When I changed her name to Persephone – Sephy for short – she did.
The Guardian is giving YOU the chance to design the front cover of Malorie Blackman’s Noughts & Crosses! If you win, you will see your design brought to life on a limited edition Noughts & Crosses book, and receive 50 copies to share with your friends.
You can be as creative as you like – your design could include painting, collage, digital artwork or photography. So, if you’re a fan of Malorie’s books and have a flair for creativity, enter now! The competition closes on 30th November 2012.
Malorie attended an exclusive Meet the Author event alongside teen authors Charlie Higson and Sophie McKenzie on World Book Day, 1st March 2012 at the Apple Store in Covent Garden, London.Download the FREE podcast from the App Store to hear Malorie talking about her contribution to the World Book Day teen app.
To find out more about Callum, Malorie’s short story for the World Book Day App, visit the book page.
The brand new World Book Day Appwill feature an exclusive short story by Malorie Blackman, as well as stories from other authors.
CALLUM
In a hostile alternative society, the pale-skinned noughts are treated as inferiors by the ruling dark-skinned Crosses. Callum’s a nought. Sephy’s a Cross. In their world, they simply don’t fit – it’s as clear as black and white. But their childhood friendship has grown into intense, burning love. They have to find a way to be together. Then Sephy’s kidnapped, and Callum’s faced with a choice– his love for Sephy or his loyalty to his brother. Once that choice is made, there can be no looking back.An explosive and passionate short story, set during the timeline of Malorie Blackman’s original dystopian bestseller, Noughts and Crosses.
The World Book Day App is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and is absolutely FREE! Download now from the App store. There will also be a World Book Day App author event between 4.30-5.30pm on 1st March at the Apple Store, Covent Garden, featuring Malorie Blackman in conversation.
If you register on my site and then send me a question, please check under the relevant category heading cause that’s where I try to answer most/all of the questions I’m asked.
I never give out my address but if you want to write to me, please send it via my publisher. The contact details are under the Contact Me sub-category heading. Click on ‘Malorie’ at the top of the screen, and then click on the ‘Contact Me’ link to the right of the next screen.
I visited Balgowan School in Beckenham today. What a wonderful school! I really enjoyed my visit. I loved the Black History Month display on the wall as well as the other wall displays on a number of different subjects. I was also pleased to see that there was a designated space for the school library, which also contained an impressive set of steel pans. The children were kind, courteous and very friendly. A Q&A session between myself and some of the pupils was recorded for a BBC Radio programme to be released next year called MeetThe Author. The students had loads of interesting questions for me and I had a great time. Thank you to everyone at Balgowan School for a really fun morning.
D’ou want to hear me, Marcus Sedgewick and Gemma Malley discussing teenage books on Radio 4’s Open Book programme with Mariella Frostrup? Check us out in the link below.
I am very pleased to announce the launch of the new My CriBaby App! The App has been created to reflect the theme of teenage parenthood in Boys Don’t Cry. It will put your skills to the test, challenging you to look after a (very cute) baby, who plays, cries and even burps. You can also share your scores with friends on Facebook, and read the first chapter from Boys Don’t Cry. The App is available now to download from the iTunes store – there’s a free version and a full version for 59p. Hope you like it – and please do share your thoughts here!
I’d like to say a big thank you to Silverdells Book Store in Kirkham (who serve fabulous ice-cream), W H Smiths in Brent Cross and Waterstones (Leeds, Bromley, Worcester and Kensington), who made me feel so welcome on my book tour. I really appreciate it.
I’d like to say a big thank you to Silverdells Book Store in Kirkham (who serve fabulous ice-cream), W H Smiths in Brent Cross and Waterstones (Leeds, Bromley, Worcester and Kensington), who made me feel so welcome on my book tour. I really appreciate it.
Boys Don’t Cry is available in two different book jackets (same text inside, obviously!) – as shown below. The red and white book jacket is exclusive to Waterstones book stores.
Boys Don’t Cry is available in two different book jackets (same text inside, obviously!) – as shown below. The red and white book jacket is exclusive to Waterstones book stores.
My milkshake bringeth all ye gentlefolk to the yard
and they’re like
it’s better than thine,
verily it’s better than thine
I could teach thee
but I must levy a fee.
My milkshake bringeth all ye gentlefolk to the yard
and they’re like
it’s better than thine,
verily it’s better than thine
I could teach thee
but I must levy a fee.
Oh, those embarrassing photos! You know the ones I mean – the photos where you’re caught with a ridiculous expression on your face, the snapshot that catches you in mid-expression change so you look totally gormless – the list is endless. Here are some of my more embarrassing images. And check out my videos page. I swear every video-still makes me look deranged.
I look totally demented!
Charlotte looks lovely. And her top isn’t totally see-through either. I won’t be wearing that top again in a hurry.
To everyone who came my event at the Sheffield Pennine Theatre last night, thank you so much for making me feel so welcome. And thanks to Pauline for chairing the event. I could’ve carried on chatting away and answering questions for another hour probably!
